should make retailers smile. crowds of shoppers already out here full force, 4:30 in the morning, having been out here several hours already for the black friday store sales. we'll take you live to livermore coming up. >> reporter: plus black friday goes orange. what the giants are doing to help you out with your holiday shopping list. a live look outside, city by the way. san francisco, friday, november 23rd. this is "today in the bay." well, good morning to you. are you stuffed from all that turkey? it's about 4:31. i'm marla tellez in for jon kelley. >> good to have you, marla. i'm laura garcia-cannon. lots to get to. let's first check that forecast with christina loren. >> good morning to you. black as night out there. shoppers are just starting to make their way out that front door. grab your heaviest coat, it's

cold out there this morning. 50 degrees in san francisco. black friday deals still coming down the line. as we head throughout the morning hours we'll take a look at what you can expect. a lot of people will be traveling as well. we've got some major changes coming to your forecast. so stay tuned, we'll have that coming in just a bit. >> if you haven't been out shopping just yet, brace yourself for a lot of company. we've got a live look at the 280/880 interchange this morning near the valley fair mall in santana row in san jose. the mall has been open since midnight for black friday shopping. this shot doesn't show a lot of traffic but our own marla tellez driving past the scene this morning said it was pretty busy out there. >> oh, yeah, it was packed. >> a lot of people out and about trying to get a bite of those good deals. meanwhile in the east bay, it's only been open for a couple of weeks, bob redell live at the paragon outlets. we saw major traffic when this

mall opened. how does it compare this morning? it sounds like you have friends behind you there. >> reporter: yeah, good morning to you, laura. the traffic has died down. they opened at 10:00 last night but we know it took actually an hour to get off 580 to get to the new paragon outlets, which we know has been open less than a month right now. they're coming here for deals that are expiring at 6:00 this morning. you still have a lot of people out here. what's remarkable is you have these people in this open air mall where it's just 42 degrees. it's very cold out here. you can certainly feel it in your fingers. sir, quick question. what time did you get out here this morning. >> around 3:00. >> reporter: 3:00 this morning. how much money do you think you saved? >> pretty much. actually i wasn't here for shopping. my friend was. >> reporter: how much did your friend save? >> a lot of money actually. >> reporter: in the hundreds? >> maybe. but at the same time you spend it too, right? but it's all right.

you save a lot of money actually. 40%, 30%, but not bad. >> reporter: all right, thank you very much. happy thanksgiving to you. and this is a high-end outlet mall where you have tommy hilfiger, prada, movado. there were no door busters at 10:00 but there are savings running for another hour and a half here at the outlet malls. you have a large crowd at 4:30 in the morning. i mean if you didn't know better you could think this was 9:00 at night when people are awake but everyone is still out here. reporting live in livermore, bob redell, "today in the bay." >> it seems like a lot of hustle and bustle. thanks, bob. malls all over the country packed as people get a jump on their holiday shopping and cash in on major discounts. check out these images from the pre premium outlets in gilroy. shoppers packed in tight as they tried to get their gifts.

patience! the coach store was so packed there was a massive line just to get in and shoppers looking to get their caffeine fix had to wait in a long line outside of starbucks. >> that is amazing, so dedicated. well, across the country national retailers threw open the doors to early morning bargain hunters. jay gray was there as early morning shoppers hoped to snap up some good deals. >> reporter: the turkey was still warm, but already the shopping was hot. black friday for many actually getting started on thanksgiving thursday this year. >> i want a 50 inch tv and a 40 inch tv. >> why? >> because i don't have one. >> reporter: but not everyone is buying into the retail strategy. >> i just think thanksgiving day should be meant for thanksgiving day. >> reporter: for most the focus of this annual shopping frenzy is still friday. >> it's huge. black friday for every retailer, it's the super bowl of retail. >> low prices, of course it's going to be heb lick but

essentially everything that you've been looking at throughout the year and thinking about buying is going to be on sale. >> reporter: shopping site decide.com that at its best black friday will be fun and games or a real workout. >> all gaming equipment, consoles, video games, those generally do go down. also fitness equipment, this is elliptical equipment, treadmills, we traditionally see the lowest price for those products on black friday. >> reporter: finding those deals and fighting through the crowd will be a workout as well. holiday exercise that actually started on the holiday this year. and continues this morning. shoppers working off that extra piece of thanksgiving pie by taking a long walk and carrying a lot of bags. jay gray, nbc news at the mall of america. >> shopping can be a workout. well, don't forget black friday and then of course there's small business saturday. that's tomorrow, of course. it's a day dedicated supported

to supporting small businesses. the campaign is sponsored by american express. to find the participating businesses in your area, just visit shopsmall.com. meanwhile the giants trying to change black friday into orange friday. the team is going to start selling single game tickets this morning at 10:00 a.m. tickets will be available for games in april, may and june. the only games not available are during opening weekend. you can buy tickets at sfgiants.com or at any giants dugout store. tickets will be sold through christmas eve. most retail stores have all hands on deck working through the night for hordes of black friday shoppers, but one retailer has a very different story. walmart employees have walked off the job nationwide. right here in the bay area they're protesting poor working conditions and the new black thursday work schedule. employees handed out flyers and carried signs outside this walmart in san leandro. some say management is not taking them seriously.

for others, it's as simple as asking for working equipment. >> this cart machine has been out for months. i've been having to manually push these carts. i work with older individuals and younger individuals and it's wear and tear on their body. help us have the material so we can get the job done. >> similar protests are planned this morning around the country. a walmart spokesman called the strike, quote, just another exaggerated publicity campaign aimed at generating headlines to mislead the retailer's customers and employees. it is 4:37. a fire captain is recovering after being injured while battling a three-alarm apartment fire in san jose. that fire broke out at the kimberly woods complex on willowleaf drive. part of the building's roof collapsed on the fire captain during that blaze. he was taken to a nearby hospital where he remains this morning. we're told he suffered a neck fracture and a concussion.

as for the damage, four apartments were destroyed. two others damaged by heavy smoke and water. a total of 18 people were displaced. >> there was a lot of smoke and the flames went up to the sky -- i mean way, way, way up. >> the cause of the fire still under investigation, but officials say it may have started in a fireplace. christie smith is at the scene this morning gathering information. she'll have a live report for us coming up. parts of san francisco's ocean beach still closed this morning thanks to a sewage leak. the barriers are still up warning people to stay off of the beach. it was closed wednesday when water started leaking out of a manhole on the beach. the public utilities commission believe the release was 90% storm water an 10% sewage. despite the smell, there were plenty of people walking on open areas of the beach yesterday. no word on when the mess will be cleaned up. bay area cities are getting ready to ring in the christmas

season. if you'd like to take part, come on down to downtown san jose where i'll be tonight opening the ice skating risk at the circle of palms at 5:30 tonight. like gold medalist kristi yamaguchi will be there. it's all happening in downtown san jose. the tree will be lit at 6:00 tonight. and our own christina loren is going to be at san francisco's ghirardelli square this evening lighting the tree there. this is the 48th annual tree lighting. i believe that she lights the tree at 5:30 this evening if i'm not mistaken. >> getting into that festive spirit. >> it's fun. >> all ready for it too. right, christina? >> that's right. i get to hang out with the most wanted man in the country, santa claus. i would love to see you out there. if you can't make it to san francisco, you can join marla tellez in san jose. we're looking good right now. 42 in livermore, 42 in sunnyvale. wherever you're headed, if it's

just shopping. maybe you want to go to the store because you're all out of milk from all the people in your house, it's cold out there. grab your coat and leave the umbrella at home. 42 in san jose, 42 in livermore, 40 in gilroy. winds are calm and will start to pick up throughout the day today. there's a storm system that's going to sit just offshore as we get through the second half of your weekend into next week and that is finally going to move onshore as we head through wednesday and thursday. we're expecting a lot of rain next week but a nice, dry stretch between now and then. if you're heading out by 5:00 a.m. in the next few minutes it's going to be 54 inland, 50 bayside and at the coast 47 degrees. right around sunrise grab your coat. 52 degrees in places like san jose at 7:00 a.m. and you'll warm to 56 at 9:00 a.m. you'll need the coat all day long. by about 4:00 p.m. today i think you can ditch it for a couple hours. temperatures will be really mild out there. if you had any sort of outdoor

exposure yesterday, you know it was beautiful. today just a touch nicer. i brought your temperatures up a couple degrees. and conditions are going to be nice and mild but you'll probably need that jacket. 70 in san jose, 71 in los got owes and 70 in redwood city. temperatures will come up just a little bit more for tomorrow and then that storm system changes things. we'll take you to those changes. your seven-day route look is ready to go in my next report. 4:41. back to business. wall street getting ready to get back to work. what trading looks like today in a live report. plus why mexico's president trying to take the united states out of mexico. also get ready to ride. plans for a new vegas party train in the works, and it could be rolling out of the station very soon.

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welcome back, everyone. a good friday morning. well, festivities are upon us now. look at san francisco, a live look outside. everything is lit up. no doubt a lot of people will take advantage of this weekend to get out there and decorate. good luck for you. good weather in the forecast as well. 4:45 right now. more than half of parents with young kids will buy downloadable gifts this year.

the key is picking the right one. pbs kids said a good app will combine education and entertainment. kids are most engaged when the apps stimulate as many census as possible. the company says avoid apps that try to sell kids on products and always play the app with your child to make sure it's right for them. black friday just hours old and already we're getting sales numbers in if you can believe that. for that and the rest of are news before the bell, you have we turn to seema mody live at cnbc world headquarters. good morning, seema. >> reporter: good morning, marla. that's right, wall street returns from the thanksgiving break. there's light trading in overseas markets as japan is closed for its thanksgiving holiday. it's a half day of action as the stock and bond markets will close at 1:00 p.m. eastern. on wednesday, though, the dow did close up by 48 points, closing at 12,836 and the nasdaq gained nearly 10 points to close at 2926. now, the holiday shopping season is officially less than 24 hours

old, but we are already getting an early lead on how sales are shaping up. ibm smarter commerce says of the retail website that tracks online sales were up 18% on thanksgiving versus last year as of 9:00 p.m. eastern. digital marketing firm shop local says stores have about 28% black friday type deals available than last year. marla and laura, happy shopping. >> same to you, seema. thanks so much. happy holidays. it's 4:46. we've all seep the images of destruction from hurricane sandy and perhaps one of the most memorable is the seaside heights new jersey roller coaster sitting in the atlantic ocean after the storm just battered the boardwalk it was sitting on. this morning there's word that coaster may actually stay in the water. the mayor of seaside heights says he's working with the coast guard to see if it's stable enough to stay put. he said it would make a great tourist attraction. no official decision has been made. meantime construction on the new boardwalk is expected to be

finished in time for the memorial day weekend. i guess a tourist attraction at a great distance. here in the bay area, you're heading out to get some shopping done. colon cool conditions. >> cool conditions. maybe you want to go for a jog. maybe you're feeling a little guilty about those five pieces of pie, this girl right here. maybe dark clothes necessary for today. 42 in concord, 42 in livermore. yeah, you know it's brisk out there. we've got good air quality due to the recent rain and we have more rain on the way but we're going to hold it off until the middle of next week. that's the good news. a dry stretch of weather accommodating all of your outdoor plans. mild conditions. high pressure is firmly in control of our pattern. as we head throughout the next two days in particular, it's going to be very nice. nice enough for you to hit the beach. it's going to make the true temperature of 72 degrees in

santa cruz feel more like the mid-60s from time to time, so you want to keep that coat with you but you can probably ditch it in places like san jose. 70 at 4:00 p.m., 50 at fremont and 70 in livermore. as we get through the next couple of days, really, really nice weather. we hold on to that all the way through sunday. then as we kick off next week, a system just sitting and spinning offshore. it's going to start to move y inland as we head through wednesday and thursday. right now because it's so far out it's hard to tell who's going to see the most rain. it could be the south bay, though. thursday looks to be the most active. 64 inland, bayside about 60 on thursday, 57 at the coast. i.e. cooler weather on the way, enjoy the 70s while they last. new this morning, israel says it has arrested the person who bombed the bus in tel aviv earlier this week. the bomb was planted on a bus on wednesday near israel's military

headquarters. 27 people were hurt in that blast. an israeli military spokeswoman says the bomber is a man and is a member of hamas. meanwhile, a new poll out this morning shows israelis are dissatisfied with the recent cease-fire. almost 50% of israelis feel israel should continue to go after the people who fire rockets into israel. 29% think israel should have sent ground troops into gaza. israel and hamas agreed to a cease-fire late wednesday. as the cease-fire continues to hold this morning, hamas leaders are declaring victory. they say israel's decision not to send ground troops into gaza is a testament to the organization's power. israeli leaders say they achieved their goals and inflicted heavy damage on the militants. the eight-day war was the worst cross-border fighting in four years. mexico's president is making one last attempt to change the country's name. the official name of mexico is

united mexican state. the name was adopted in 1824 after mexico gained independence from spain but it's rarely used. the mexican president announced he wants to change the country's name simply to mexico because he doesn't want to copy the united states. the only problem is he leaves office next week, so people view it largely as a symbolic gesture. tiny seaside town in northern california has hit a snag in a major upgrade to its harbor. crescent city was badly damaged by the march, 2011, tsunami triggered by that major earthquake in japan. while crews were in the process of shoring up the docks with reinforced steel pilings, the drill bit broke. now they have to pound them in by hand just to get them through the winter. crescent center is about 15 miles south of the oregon border and geologists say it makes it a prime target for tsunamis. plans for a vegas party train from california are a step closer to becoming a reality.

a nevada company has signed a conditional agreement with union pacific railroad. the las vegas railway express will start in san bernardino county and then end in sin city. the trip would take about five hours. the company plans to include an ultra lounge, tvs for sports, private cars for patbachelor parties and food an drink. tickets would be about $99 each way. the hope is to get the train running by the end of next year. >> it sounds a lot better than it looks, that cargo train. >> yeah, it looks pretty fancy. 4:51. coming up a couple of bay area college football teams have a chance at a bowl game. we'll tell you which ones. plus another twist in the 49er quarterback controversy. what the team's offensive coordinator is saying.

good friday morning to you. it is 4:54. a pair of bay area teams will be getting invites to bowl games this season. san jose state on track for its first bowl appearance since 2006. with a 9-2 record, sjsu could have a pick of bowls. they could end up anywhere from the hawaii bowl to the military bowl in washington, d.c. in the meantime how other top 25 teams play this weekend will certainly determine where the stanford cardinal end up. a win in the pac-12 championship

could mean the rose bowl. other options are alamo, fiesta, sun or holiday bowls. the quarterback controversy continues for the 49ers. earlier this week "sports illustrated" magazine reported that head coach jim harbaugh told alex smith that colin kaepernick would get the nod against the saints on sunday and that the decision was not based on smith's health. but offensive coordinator greg romans said the team has not made a final decision and there is a chance smith will start in new orleans. you know, we're confident in both quarterbacks to be on the field and, you know, we're always going to make available all the information as we have it and make the best decision for the team at the time. but we have ultimate confidence in either. >> one snag, though, smith has yet to be medically cleared to play after suffering a concussion almost two weeks ago. he is expected to undergo more tests later today.

4:56. the bay area has special reason to watch macy's thanksgiving day parade. a south bay marching band had a big appearance. >> from california, here's the saratoga high school marching band and color guard. students from every continent on the globe are represented in the band with over 20 languages spoken. under the direction of michael boitz they play the 2012 american overture. ♪ >> check them out. the color guard. one of 11 bands nationwide to participate in the parade. they looked great. other highlights include santa and mrs. claus, broadway shows and the radio city rockets. the tradition holds. this is actually the 86th year of the macy's thanksgiving day parade. i thought it was cool they had this woman who had worked at macy's since like 1939. she's the oldest employee there.

>> awesome. let's hope she gets good discounts. 4:57. shoppers leaving the malls with heavy bags and lighter waltz. black friday is here and our live coverage is next. plus the bay area city that wants you to enthusiastic about taking part in plaid friday instead.

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. a late-night fire in san jose displaces 18 residents and a veteran firefighter is sent to the hospital. i'm christie smith. i just got an update on his injuries. i'll tell you what they are coming up in a live report. >> and i'm bob redell live with the length shoppers will go through to save money this black friday, shopping day. we'll take you live to one of the busiest malls in the bay area. that story coming up. just braving the cold weather this morning is something to be applauded for all those good consumer